Today Art – C Friday showcased musicians/singers/groups from Bush Radio’s very first produced CD Hometown Hits.We had local sensation Blackkurrant (band) joined me in studio to talk about how the band kept it going since its incision as well as plans for 2011. Grant Perez was up next spreading his great cheer talking about his past and present endeavours one of which is his very first musical to be showcased in Ceres.

Thursday, February 24, 2011

14 Timeless Ways to Live a Happy LifeHow we achieve happiness can be different for each one of us. Our passions, expectations, life experiences, and even our personalities all contribute to the level of happiness we experience in our lives. Some find happiness in their careers while others prefer the bliss found in their marriages or other intimate relationship.

No matter how you define happiness for yourself, there are certain universal and time-proven strategies to bring, and sustain, more happiness into your life. The following 14 ways to live a happy life can be adapted and even customized to fit your needs. Over time, these strategies will become positive and life-changing habits that will begin to bring more happiness, joy and peace into your life.http://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/14-timeless-ways-to-live-a-happy-life/

ISWA will be celebrating 25 YEARS OF SERVICE at the Cape Town College (Hewat) in Kromboom Road, Athlone on the evening of the 12th March 2011. The celebration will be distinguished by fine dining and dramatic musical productions featuring; Ganie Parker & guests, The George Werner Band, Little Giants as well as other exciting talents .....Emily Bruce, Wathiq Hussein & Rajissi a exciting flamenco duo. For details contact Mirza Parker (c) 071 384 1237(W) 021 696 3000

Lastly Ayesha Seedat joined me to speak about the Tuckshop programme of the Heart and Stroke Foundation of South Africa. According to Ayesha Seedat a child’s nutritional needs are often overlooked and underplayed by both parents and the school system, resulting in common problems such as behavioural disorders and childhood obesity. 17% of South African children between the ages of 1-9 years of age are overweight. At the same time as many as 19% of children are stunted because of insufficient food intake.

Teaching a child about food groups and the importance of good nutrition in the classroom is the best defence against poor eating habits. For more details visitwww.heartfoundation.co.za

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Each of us have our busy lives and in this world of constant distractions, how can we stay focused on our goals? This article discusses several techniques I have found to work.

1. Having well defined goals. I can’t stress the importance of this too much. Having goals which are well defined along good guidelines is key. I’ve found writing my goals down really helps. Whenever I get distracted, I read my goals and I’m reminded of what I am trying to do and why.2. Breaking things into bite sized chunks. Having broad high level goals are good but having an actionable plan is essential. A plan can identify how you can get from where you are to where you want go. Breaking goals into smaller actionable chunks (tasks) is great – it gives me motivation to start and allows me to get things done in one sitting.3. Prioritising constantly. To figure out which task I should be working on, I prioritise constantly. Some tasks are more important than others. Some tasks are more urgent than others. I’ve found that working on urgent tasks followed by tasks which have the greatest impact to work well for me – urgent tasks allow me to get things done on time and important tasks allow me to maximise the benefits I receive.

4. Tracking progress vigorously. Each of us wants to improve our lives. However, it is easy to start with good intentions but more difficult to sustain commitment. I’ve found that by tracking my progress, I have more visibility on what I’ve done and can better gauge how much effort is left.*for more click on the link http://www.davecheong.com/2006/06/21/11-ways-of-staying-focused/

ALSO FEATURED:An interview with Debby Edelstein, Co-founder of QualityLife Company and of the annual Women's Leadership Conference "We are the Leaders we've been Waiting for", is a facilitator, writer and speaker on women's leadership.

Debby joined to discuss the 6th annual women’s leadership conference taking placing in Cape Town on the 18th March 2011. The conference which has over the years acquired a reputation for being the most dynamic conversation of women leaders in the country will focus on how women leaders and feminine values can transform organisations. The theme is “We are the Leaders we’ve been waiting for”. While the conference is aimed at women in middle to senior management, the event is certainly a platform to celebrate the pioneers who are challenging the way we live and work in order to create a better quality of life for us all.

Lastly, Claudia Lopez Projects and Training Director / Co-Founder of REACH joined me to talk about the organisation (REACH). REACH was founded in response to the high prevalence of sexual harassment and gender based violence in the Western Cape’s farming communities and lack of support services. 2005 marked the beginning of REACH's journey in its attempts at eradicating these social ills in rural farm communities. For more details visit: www.reach.org.za

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

(Reuters) - It makes no difference if you stretch or not before a run, because stretching won't affect your risk of injury, according to a study. According to the study, presented this week at the 2011 annual meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, injury rates were 16 percent in both groups. The most significant risk factors for injury were a history of chronic injury or recent injury in the past four months, and a higher body mass index. According to the study, presented this week at the 2011 annual meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, injury rates were 16 percent in both groups. The most significant risk factors for injury were a history of chronic injury or recent injury in the past four months, and a higher body mass index.

Today’s Inspiration of the day8 Ways Doing Less Can Transform Your Work & Life

“Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.” - Antoine de Saint Exupery

Doing less is not about being lazy (though being lazy is a good start) — it’s about focusing on quality rather than quantity. It’s about getting off the hamster wheel of productivity, so that you can create something great rather than just being busy.

Let’s take a few examples:

• A furniture maker can mass-produce a ton of cheap furniture that will fall apart within a year. Another craftsman might produce way fewer pieces of furniture, but make them beautifully and solidly, so that they’ll last for generations. If he makes them well enough, they might even be sought out and remembered for their great design.

• A programmer can write tens of thousands of lines of code, and produce a lot of software that works. A less productive coder can write a tenth of the lines, perhaps even editing down what she writes so that there’s less code, but they’re better written. This small program might be the most useful thing on many people’s computers, flawless code that just works. • A writer can churn out lots of words (hundreds of thousands, if not millions), but have his work read by relatively few. Another writer can write a small but powerful blog post or ebook, and have the post be spread by thousands of people.

Lastly I spoke to Hilary Rhode of the Faculty of Health Sciences of Stellenbosch University about the Healthy Lifestyles Awareness Day. The interview discussed how communities can create and sustain healthy lifestyles despite budget constraints and looked at government’s plans to overhaul the health system and the increasing importance of leading a healthy lifestyle to keep illness at bay.

Friday, February 18, 2011

Social media is more popular than pornAt around 500 BC Greek philosopher Hiraclitus wrote that “the only constant is change.” Not much has changed since.

Movies with strong sexual or violence content usually bomb at the box office, as we pointed out in More Movies. Even video games outsell porn videos (and, in fact, all videos/DVDs). And if you think that the words “sex” or “porn” are the most searched words on Google you are wrong. At an early stage of Google – and AltaVista, Northern Light and Yahoo! and the almost 2000 other search engines – “sex” briefly did become the most searched word but the word “God” has remained at the top of searches for many years. Until recently.Today’s Inspiration of the day5 Sure-Fire Ways To Enjoy Every Day Of Your Life

Learn to laughLaughter is the healer of all ills. Smiling is the balm that soothes and settles. Both are the medicine that sustains a life of joy. Laugh in the face of problems. Laugh in the path of overwhelming odds. Learn to laugh at yourself. Laugh when you triumph, and laugh when you trip. But don't laugh at the expense of others. Share jokes that lift. Watch clean comedies that lighten the load. See the funny side, and search for it if you have to, to discover another reason to always laugh.Stop taking yourself too seriouslyWhy so serious? Stop it today. Lighten up. So many people are so tightly wound that they will either crack up or blow up. Loosen the bonds of seriousness and be free. There was an actor that appeared on the film scape a number of years back and he called himself ‘Yahoo Serious’. Now the very name, let alone the way he presented himself - well can I simply say this - it was hard to get serious when he was around. So loosen the screw. Let down your hair. Find a reason to celebrate - for whatever reason - and be free at last from serious seriousdom - the land of the deadly serious - seriously!

Surround yourself with winnersI don't keep the company of losers. I'm at a loss why anyone would. The fact is that if you want to win in life, then you need to build around you a company of winners - in your field of endeavor and then others who are winners in their respective fields. Winners commit winning acts. Winners speak winning words. Winners have winning ways. Winners sometimes lose, but don't stay down. They get up, dust themselves off and go again.Fill your world with winning books. Watch winning movies. Listen to winning speakers, but most of all associate with winners. True winners won't compete with you - but will join your cheer squad - cheering you on in your winning pursuit.

Make it your daily habit to express gratitudeGratitude is of vital importance if you wish to remain fresh and vibrant in all your ways. Never take anything for granted. Always say thank you, and in everything you do, enter with an attitude of gratitude.Show gratitude for another day to breathe, to dream and to fulfill the vision for your life. Hug and kiss your family. Embrace your friends. Cherish your clients. Adore your associates. Write cards. Send positive email communications. Distribute social media comments that lift.Pursue your passion with 111% enthusiasmWe're all passionate about something. Trouble is that most of us are so focused on earning a living that our passions are often brushed aside.But to truly enjoy your life's journey it is imperative that you take time out to identify your strengths and invest time in the pursuit of your passions - the projects, the desires, and the sparks that lights you up on the inside. Then go pursue them with 111% effort and focus. Don't allow the distractions of life to detract you from your life mission.

ALSO FEATURED:

For Art – C Friday today I showcased Underground Productionz http://www.undergroundproductionz.webs.com/ . We also spoke about their female dj school as well as showcased Lady Gem one of the djs currently doing training with Underground Productionz.

Lastly I spoke to Brett Bailey curator of the, “Infecting the city festival taking place from 21st – 26th February 2011. This year’s the Infecting The City theme, ‘Treasure’ is about making art something. Live performances of ritual piercing, B-Boy duels, ballet, stick fighting and so much more all taking place at the Cape Town station.

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

DID YOU KNOW(Reuters Health) - With Americans chugging energy drinks like never before, fears are growing among doctors that the ingredients might be putting some consumers at risk. In a new report out Monday, Florida pediatricians describe cases of seizures, delusions, heart problems and kidney or liver damage in people who had downed one or more non-alcoholic energy drinks -- including brands like Red Bull, Spike Shooter and Redline.

Today’s Inspiration of the day40 ways to live life without regrets“The saddest summary of life contains three descriptions: could have, might have, and should have.” ~ Unknown1. Realize that it’s okay to make mistakes. Just make sure to learn from your past mistakes, forgive yourself and move on.2. Make your health and wellness a top priority and always take care of yourself so you’re ready to take care of others.3. Follow your own path—not one that others want you to follow.4. Find the humor in life and laugh like there is no tomorrow.

11. Be thankful for what you have now instead of thinking about what you don’t have.

12. Wish well upon everyone equally and try to admire without envy.

13. Share your happiness with others instead of hoarding it all for yourself.

14. Don’t try to change someone—love who they are now.

15. Enjoy the journey, not just the destination.

16. Know that happiness is bigger than any bank account.

17. Control negative thoughts so that they don’t contribute to the outcome of your life.

18. Use your energy wisely because spending energy complaining, worrying or being impatient is just wasted energy.

19. Be bold. Find the courage to change things that should be changed and accept that there are some things that cannot be changed.20.Love your work. If you don’t currently love what you do, figure out what you would love, and take the first step toward that life.

ALSO FEATURED:Alderman Felicity Purchase, Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Development and Tourism, City of Cape joined me this morning to discuss Responsible tourism week.Responsible Tourism (RT) is an approach to the management of tourism aimed at maximising benefits (economic, social and environmental) and minimising costs to destinations. Simply put, RT is a tourism which “creates better places for people to live in, and better places to visit” – a phrase coined in Cape Town in 2002 and now widely used around the world.

Lastly Joy Gibbs Founder and Chairperson of the Children’s of the circle foundation stepped into the studios. CCF offers an extra educational support system to the child of the incarcerated. CCF was established in Mitchell's Plain. It is also the only one of its kind in South Africa. CCF is launching their Comprehension/Reading skills programme at the start of March 2011. Classes will run from Westridge library and later in the year depending on the growth of the number of children at Cedars High and Tafelsig Library. To find out more contact Joy Gibbs on Tel: 0783124462 / ccf.dock1@gmail.com

Friday, February 11, 2011

TWO doctors were arrested yesterday as part of a criminal syndicate allegedly involved in the renting out of surgeries and practice numbers to unqualified people to treat patients.

The arrests followed a joint sting operation yesterday morning that included members of the Hawks, Sars and Home Affairs officials, and were made in Gauteng, Limpopo, Eastern Cape and Western Cape.Police said two of the detainees were authentic medical practitioners, who each owned three practices operated by bogus doctors.http://www.sowetanlive.co.za/news/2011/02/10/bogus-doctors-bust

ALSO FEATURED:A preview on the national tour of the extraordinary Swiss theatre troupe, Mummenschanz. Acclaimed internationally for their innovative theatre style, these masters of make-believe and illusion wow audiences and critics wherever they perform. By using everyday objects and unusual materials, such as cardboard boxes, rolls of toilet paper, air vent ducts and more.

I spoke to the publicist Christien Coetzee Klinger who further informed the listeners on the happenings for Cape Town; Venue: Baxter Theatre, Month: April, Tickets: computicket.

Lastly Greg Carlin (vocals, guitar) of South Africa’s alternative band Zebra and Giraffe (Z&G) joined me telephonically to speak about their third performance at Cape Town’s Kirstenbosch Summer Concerts which is taking place this Sunday 13th February 2011 at 4pm. To find out more about Z&G visit http://www.zebraandgiraffe.co.za/home.html

That’s it for the Morning Cruise, where we cruise through your weekday here on BushRadio 89.5fm live on your stereo between 9am – 12pm with me Denisia Adams. Take Care ... make the best of your day and Keep the Faith. Stay Real!!!!!!!!!!

Thursday, February 10, 2011

1. Get out in nature. Just as the people you surround yourself with effect you, so does your physical environment. If you don’t believe me then go for a walk on a beautiful beach on a sunny day and try and feel miserable. You can change the way you feel simply by changing the environment you are in. You don’t have to get fully out in the wilderness, even a walk in a nice city park can really uplift you.2. Book and plan your next holiday. It doesn’t have to be anywhere exotic or expensive and it doesn’t matter if its not for another 12 months, just start planning it so you have something to look forward to.3. Meditate – if you don’t know how to then get a book or DVD out of the library and learn. You don’t have to become a monk or convert to any religion to do it. It can be done by absolutely anyone, pretty much anywhere and anytime, and it’s simple to learn.4. Watch movies that inspire and uplift you like: The Pursuit of Happyness, Dead Poet’s Society, Erin Brokovich, Remember the Titans, Pay it Forward, The World’s Fastest Indian etc.

5. Go out on a special romantic date with your partner.If you haven’t got a partner join an online dating service and find yourself one (don’t be afraid, everyone’s doing it!).6. Take a close look at the books you read, movies/TV you watch, video games you play, blogs/websites you view etc. Do they leave you feeling uplifted and inspired? Do they give you positive messages about life? If not, find some that do.

7. Exercise! Everyone knows this but it’s the thing we always neglect. Find a sport or physical activity that you enjoy and get active. A healthy physical body really does help to create a healthy mind.

8. Relax. When you relax, do it wholeheartedly and throw yourself into it. Procrastinating in front of the TV isn’t real relaxation. Schedule yourself sometime to properly relax.9. Spend time with friends and family who make you feel good about yourself.10. Surround yourself with people who motivate and inspire you. Jim Rohn is quoted as having said “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with“. It makes sense that the habits, attitudes and behaviours of the people you spend the most time with can rub off on you, so hang out with good people whom you respect and admire.11. Remember the birthdays of your friends, family and work colleagues, it’ll improve your relationships with them. With social networking sites it’s getting easier to keep track of these. Depending on how close you are to the friend you could: send them a quick text, email, throw a sheep at them on Facebook, pop around with a gift or organise a party. If you don’t know the actual dates then make it your mission to find them all out and record them. I load them into my mobile with alarms to remind me.

12. Deepen your relationships with your friends and family. This is a pretty broad one I know but have a think about it, you’ll come up with something and it’s worth it.13. Get a haircut, a new shirt, a new handbag,or something that makes you feel good about yourself. Don’t spend loads of money. Savor the feeling.14. Do something physical that makes you feel scared or uncomfortable. It doesn’t have to be bungy jumping, it could be jumping off the highest diving board at the pool or learning to ride a bike.*For more on ways to uplift yourself click on link:http://presentoutlook.com/39-ways-to-uplift-yourself/

Wednesday, February 09, 2011

GENDER HUB WEDNESDAYToday we spoke to Annelize Kotze who happens to be a freelance writer and what’s more her articles most always deal with women issues. From “How to understand post natal depression”, fashion tips or “Top ten tips for when you are pregnant”. Kotze says writing about woman issues was completely unintentional but came naturally and with the great response she’s received created it’s continuation.

Today’s Inspiration of the day18 Ways to Stay Focused at Work1. Write out a daily task list and plan your day. There’s nothing like a task list sitting next to you to keep you focused. When you have a list of the things you need to accomplish in a day, having that close to you constantly reminding you of what needs to be done is a great way of keeping on track.2. Allocate time slots colleagues can interrupt you. In a busy work place, people are moving and talking all the time. If you play a role in a team where others need to interact with you, try allocating a time slot they can interrupt you. Instead of having people stop by your desk every 10 mins and asking you questions, let them know of a time in the day, say between 2-4pm you can be interrupted. At all other times, you can really get some work done.3. Apply time boxing. In a previous article, I wrote about the benefits of time boxing. Instead of working at something till it is done, try working on it for a limited period, say 30 mins. By that time, the task is either completed or you allocate another time slot, perhaps in another day, to pick it up again. This way, you keep your work fresh and engaging throughout the entire working day.4. Setup filters in your email. If you spend a lot of your time communicating and planning in front of your computer, chances are you deal with emails on a frequent basis. Setting up filters in your email client can be a great way of sorting out what’s important and urgent from personal stuff which can wait. Instead of dealing with a single Inbox with hundreds of unread email, you only need to deal with smaller folders categorised by project, priority and context.

5. Do not check personal email in the morning.Checking personal emails can be very distracting even with filters setup. This is especially true when your friends send you links to interesting articles, jokes or videos on YouTube. If you’re not careful, you can get side tracked for hours. Instead of checking your personal email as soon as you get in, try starting work straight away. This will build up some momentum as you ease into your work day. You should check your personal email only after you have a few tasks completed or underway. Also, if you don’t want to perpetuate a particular distracting email thread, just don’t reply to it until after work.6. Set your IM status. If you use Instant Messenger, when you don’t want to be disturbed, make use of the status and set yourself as being away or busy. Your friends and colleagues will honour that. They can either send you an email or look you up later when you aren’t as busy.

7. Listen to the right types of music. Music is a great way of settling into the working routine. In addition, having music can drown out office noises like printers and background chattering. Be careful though, depending on personal preference, some types of music are not particularly conducive to productive work. For me, I can’t work when listening to songs with lots of lyrics because the words interrupt my thinking process.8. Use the headphones but leave the music off. Some people prefer to have absolute silence when working. I think that also depends on what kind of work you are doing. If you’re doing some serious planning or something computational, having music blasting in your ears may not be the best thing for keeping focused. Try using headphones or ear plugs to block out the background noise but leave the music off.

9. Fill up a water bottle. Keeping yourself hydrated is pretty important for all sorts of health reasons. Instead of going to the water cooler with your glass every hour, try filling up a water bottle at the start of the day. This does a couple of things – firstly, it limits the starts/stops associated every time you get up for water and secondly, it avoids being sucked into lengthy discussions around the water cooler.10. Find the best time to do repetitive and boring tasks. No matter how much you try to avoid it, you’re going to have to face doing things which are either repetitive or boring. For these tasks, I find it is best to choose a time in the day to work on them. For example, I’m more alert at the start of the day, so it’s better to work on things which require brain power early. Working on boring tasks that can be done via auto-pilot are better left towards the end of the day when I’m usually tired.11. Bring your lunch and have it at your desk. I’m not suggesting you do this every day, but if you really have to focus and are trying to meet a deadline, having your lunch at your desk really helps. The normal one hour lunch break can really interrupt any momentum you might have built up during the morning. I find when I’m eating lunch at my desk, my lunch breaks are shorter and I can get through a few emails while I’m eating. After I’m done, I’m straight back working on the next task.*for more click on the link

ALSO FEATURED:It’s the month of February and for SADD (South Africans Against Drunk Driving) it’s Alcohol Free Feb!!!

I was joined by SADD’s Phillipa Smit who reassures everyone that the message is not necessarily about zero alcohol but more zero irresponsible behaviour. The campaign’s main targets are teens and students, who is probably the hardest to sway. They do talks and presentations at various schools, colleges etc. In Cape Town the City of Cape Town has come on board in support of the awareness campaign helping to promote the message of alcohol free feb.

Now here’s an important question, do you know how many units of alcohol you consuming? According Phillipa Smit, even one glass of wine could contain 2units of alcohol and the safest way to drink is to consume one unit per hour. It’s especially important for people who drive simply because you can be arrested for drunk driving even after two drinks. UNITS!To find out more, to donate or to sign up visit www.alcofreefeb.co.za

Wednesday, February 02, 2011

DID YOU KNOW(Reuters Health) - Many people who undergo urology procedures may be sent home with more narcotic painkillers than they need -- leaving home medicine cabinets filled with the potentially addictive drugs, a new study suggests.Researchers found that of 213 patients prescribed narcotic painkillers after surgery for a urological condition, two-thirds had leftover pills a few weeks later. And most -- 91 percent -- were keeping those leftovers in their medicine cabinets.That's a problem, the researchers say, because those pills can be abused by anyone with access to the medicine cabinet.

TODAY’S INSPIRATION OF THE DAY.... continues36 Ways to Make a Positive Impression in Less Than 10 Seconds

19. Improve your body posture- poor posture is an indication of low self-esteem.20. Say goodbye- make a good last impression.21. Offer a proper handshake- a good, firm handshake demonstrates confidence and makes a good impression.22. Give someone a hug- a hug is a sign that you really care for the other person.23. Proof your email, text or post- this is an important component of portraying a professional online brand.24. Click the LIKE button on someone’s Facebook post- it’s an easy way to demonstrate interest.25. Turn off your phone in meetings- even though your phone may not make sounds, your eyes and attention will be diverted from the other people in attendance and your lack of attention demonstrates disrespect.26. Repeat your phone number twice when leaving a voicemail- speaking slowly and repeating your phone number will make you stand out.27. When scheduling appointments use the other person’s time zone- this avoids misunderstandings or missed opportunities.28. Speak with life and energy in your voice- no one likes to be around people who are “dead, dull and lifeless.”29. Walk with a bounce in your step- it’s evidence of an energetic attitude that ultimately leads to success.30. Turn off the notifications that are bugging those around you.

31. Write things down- it prevents you from forgetting things that are important.32. Say something positive to others about another person- reverse gossip.33. Congratulate your opponent- good sportsmanship is evidence of leadership.34. Introduce yourself- be proactive and introduce yourself to people whom you have never met.35. Look for the good in others and tell them what you see- you have the ability to bring out the best in people, especially when they may not know it themselves.36. Hold in that fart- the pain will go away in less than 10 seconds. lol

ALSO FEATURED:

Michele MacFarlane, author of “The Au Pair”. The Au Pair bravely goes where no other book has gone, and tells the story which so many women have experienced, with complete honesty. There is no other lesbian account that addresses the issues faced in the book as directly, and as openly. Furthermore, it is a tale that everyone who has encountered similar circumstances will be able to identify with, and benefit from. Whether it is a mother, whose daughter reveals herself to be gay, or a young woman, trying to come to terms with her sexuality.

The Au Pair is a tantalising true story of a British wife and mother of three whose life is turned upside down when she meets and falls in love with her pretty and much younger Afrikaans au pair.

We discussed Michele’s experiences with divorce, change of live and her support that got her through.